Multibreak gas blast circuit breaker with grounded operating motor



July 3, 1951 G. E. JANSSON MULTIBREAK GAS BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER WITHGROUNDED OPERATING MOTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1947 "I'llINVENTOR AA/JXQW (a. Qa/wa/qo/w A ORNEY July 3, 1951 G. E. JANSSONMULTIBREAK GAS BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH GROUNDED OPERATING MOTOR 3Sheets-Sheet Filed July 19, 1947 &(

IPIVENTOR g waXow ZQDW/J/OAA/ We RNEY July 3, 1951 G. E. JANSSONMULTIBREAK GAS BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH GROUNDED OPERATING MOTOR .3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 19, 1947 0 I I I I I I I I I I a I lNYENTOR QW W 5. W, W

E N R Patented July 3, 1951 MULTIBREAK GAS BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER WITHGROUNDED OPER- ATING MOTOR Gustav E. J ansson, North Quincy, Mass.,assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Delaware Application July. 19, 1547, Serial No. 762,092

12 Claims. 1

My invention relates to electric circuit breakers of the gas or fluidblast type adaptable for very high voltage ratings, particularly to airblast circuit breakers, and it has for its principal object theprovision of improved multibreak structure for efiecting synchronousoperation of the contacts at all breaks pertaining to one pole of thecircuit breaker or one phase of the circuit.

Another object of my present invention is to provide an improved gasblast circuit breaker comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperatingarcing contacts arranged in electrical and spatial series relation inone pole unit of the circuit breaker structure and means for compelling,at a point of tim at which a predetermined minimum amount of gaspressure prevails at all points of break, simultaneous positive-actionseparation of all cooperating pairs of arcing contacts.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a gas blast circuitbreaker of the type comprising a plurality of pairs of cooperatingarcing contacts arranged in electrical and spatial series relation inone pole unit of the circuit breaker structure, wherein all said pairsof con-'- tacts may be separated simultaneously independently of the gaspressure at diiferent points of break, and irrespective of whether thereis a difference in gas pressure at diiierent points of break.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas blastcircuit breaker of the type comprising a vertical hollow insulatingcolumn accommodating therein a plurality of superimposed pairs ofcooperating arcing contacts arranged in electrical series relation andwhich includes motor means arranged at ground potential and adapted toseparate simultaneously said plurality of pairs of contacts, and Whichincludes, in addition thereto, time delay means for causing operation ofsaid motor means after a time delay following the opening of the blastvalve of the circuit breaker sufiicient to permit substantialequalization of the pressure at all points of break.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a gas blast circuitbreaker pole unit including one movable arcing contact, or a pluralityof movable arcing contacts arranged in electrical series relation, whichcontact is or contacts are adapted to be operated through theintermediary of rotating insulating structure by means of a single motorarranged at ground potential remote from said contact or contacts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedcircuit breaker structure of the gas blast type which lends itself tothe interruption of circuits having a very high operatingvoltage, issimple, reliable in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Objects and advantages other than those described above will be apparentfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a pressure vs. time characteristic for a fluid passage havinga given geometric-a1 con figuration;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view, partly in cross section and partly inside elevation, of a gas blast multibreak circuit breaker of the outdoortype embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in cross section and partly in side elevation,of the circuit breaker column and operating mechanism of Fig. 2, shownon a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 3, seen in thedirection of the arrows indicated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken along line VV of Fig. 3, seen in thedirection of the arrows indicated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a front view, partly in cross section and partly in sideelevation, of a modification of the contact operating mechanism of Fig.3;

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken along line VII VII of Fig. 6, seen inthe direction of the arrows indicated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View, partly in cross section and partly inside elevation, of an operating mechanism intended to be used incombination with the circuit breaker structure of Figs. 2 and 3 for thepurpose of rapid reclosing service.

A multibreak gas blast circuit breaker comprises means defining a blastpassage having at one end thereof a blast valve for the admissiontherein of gas under pressure. A plurality of breaks is arranged withinthe passage at difierent points along the axis thereof. Since it takestime for the past blast or pressure Wave to develop and to rush ortravel through the blast passage,

shortly upon opening of the blast valve the pres-' sure within the blastpassage will diiTer depending both upon the particular point of timeunder consideration as well as upon the location of any particular pointunder consideration along the axis of the blast passage. Owing to thesefacts there will be a tendency in a multibr-eak gas blast circuitbreaker that opening of cooperating pairs of fluid pressure operatedcontacts occurs at different points of time, depending on how far suchpairs of contacts are arranged away from the blast-admitting valve, Inaddition thereto, there will be a tendency that the intensity of the arcextinguishing blast will vary depending upon the location within theblast passage of a particular pair of cooperating contacts, and upon thepoint of time at which the particular pair of contacts underconsideration is permitted to part. Fig. 1 shows the pressure vs. timecharacteristic for the end of an 11 ft. long pipe line having restrictedoutlet and intake areas, the fixed ratio of which is (outlet closed),and .445, respectively (outlet open). It appears from Fig. 1 that thepressure wave rises gradually with time to a peak value and thendecreases in form of a relatively slightly damped oscillation if theoutlet is closed, and in the form of a very strongly damped almostaperiodic oscillation in case the outlet is open.

The foregoing shows that it is of great importance to provide gas blastmultibreak circuit breakers with means which permit to synchronize theoperation of all the contacts and which, in addition thereto, permitproper timing between the opening of the blast valve, the transit of agiven pressure Wave and the separation of the contacts so as to permitbuilding-up of the right amount of gas pressure within the blast passageat any point thereof where a pair of cooperating contacts is located.

This problem has been solved by the structure which is shown in Figs. 2and 3, and which will now be described in detail.

Breaker tank I constitutes a source of fluid, e. g., air, under pressurefor producing arc extinguishing blasts of gas as well as for operatingthe contacts of the circuit breaker. Pipe 2 supplies gas under pressureto tank I either from another larger tank or from a compressor, of whichneither are shown in the drawing. Blast valve 30. controls the escape ofgas under pressure into blast passage 3. The circuit breaker comprisesfurther a plurality of pairs of cooperating arcing contacts 4, arrangedin electrical and spatial series relation or registry within blastpassage 3. Contacts 4 are stationary and tubular, or of the nozzle type,and contacts 5 are movable and of the plug type, normally closing theori- M fices formed by the nozzle type contacts. Upon separation of eachpair of cooperating contacts 4, 5 an arc extinguishing blast of gasunder pressure is caused to rush through the gaps which are formedtherebetween. These blasts of gas have been indicated by arrows in Figs.2 and 3. The structure which causes these blasts of gas to form will bedescribed below more in detail. Separation of cooperating pairs ofcontacts 4, 5 is effected by a fluid motor generally indicated by thereference sign 6, a crank mechanism l, a rotatable insulating columngenerally indicated by the reference sign 8, two crank mechanisms 9,both associated with column 8, and contact operating linkages includingthe reciprocable operating rods III. Gas under pressure is applied tomotor 6 comprising relatively movable cylinder I2 and piston I3 fromblast passage 3 through pipe H which branches off blast passage 3 at apoint situated downstream with regard to blast valve 30.. Upon apredetermined movement of piston I 3 in cylinder I2 in contact openingdirection, port I4 is freed by piston I3, thus permitting pipe I5 to besupplied with gas under pressure. Gas under pressure flowing throughpipe I5 causes a fluid motor which has been generally indicated byreference sign IE to open a disconnect switch which has been generallyindicated by reference sign I1. Fluid motor I6 comprises relativelymovable piston I8 and cylinder I9 and a slide valve 20. The flow of gasunder pressure supplied through pipe I5 causes both piston I8 and slidevalve 20 to move from right to left. The movement of slide valve 20 tothe left causes opening of port area 2I, thus permitting venting of theleft side of cylinder I9 to atmosphere. Disconnect switch I! comprisesthe stationary contact 22 and the movable or rotatable contact 23. Thelatter is adapted to be actuated by motor I6 through crank mechanism 24,rotary insulating column 25 and bevel gear 26. The circuit through thecircuit breaker when in closed position is as follows: line 21, terminal28, arcing contacts 4, 5, flexible conductor 29, arcing contacts :5, 4,4, 5, flexible conductor 29, arcing contacts 5, 4, terminal 33,disconnect contact 23, disconnect contact 22, terminal 3|, line 32.Motor I6 for operating disconnect switch I! is associated with auxiliaryswitch 33 which is being closed upon a predetermined travel of piston I8in contact opening direction. Closing of switch 33 causes closing of acontrol circuit which includes conductor 34 and solenoid contactresetting valve 35. When valve 35 opens, gas under pressure is permittedto flow from tank I through pipe 36 to motor 6. This causes piston I3and slide valve 38 to move from left to right, resulting in closing ofcooperating pairs of arcing contacts 4, 5 and venting of the right sideof cylinder I2 through port 39. The contact closing action of motor 6 isspeeded up by the action of spring 40 which exerts the required contactpressure when the circuit is closed by the arcing contacts 4, 5 of thecircuit breaker. In the contemplated case the circuit will not be closedupon resetting of arcing contacts 4, 5 since it is interrupted by reasonof separation of disconnect contacts 22, 23.

Operation of the circuit breaker is initiated by energizing solenoidtrip valve 4|. This permits a flow of gas under pressure from tank Ithrough pipe line 43 to pilot valve 44, causing the latter to open.Opening of pilot valve 44 permits gas under pressure to flow from tank Iin back of piston 45 of a fluid motor 46 for operating blast Valve 3a.Motor 46 comprises also cylinder 41 and spring 48 arranged therein forreclosing blast valve 3a and maintaining it in closed position. Uponopening of blast valve 3a cooperating pairs of arcing contacts 4, 5 areopened by motor 6, whereupon disconnect switch I! is opened by motor I6,and finally contacts 4, 5 are reclosed by the combined action of motor 5and spring 40, as described above.

Closing of the circuit breaker is initiated by energizing solenoid valve49, thus causing gas under pressure to flow from tank I through pipes 43and 43a to motor I5. That flow of gas under pressure causes piston I8and slide valve 20 to move from left to right. This in turn causescontacts 22, 23 to engage and port area 50 to be opened to atmospherefor venting the right side of cylinder I3.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen from that figurethat the blast passage 3 is in part defined by a hollow supportinginsulator 5i and also by a plurality of hollow insulating elements .53which are arranged in registry and are superimposed upon insulator 5I.What may be termed the circuit breaker column proper which has generallybeen designated by reference sign 205, comprises said hollow insulatingelements or tubular insulators 53 and a plurality of metal casings 52.Insulators 53 are arranged coaxially on opposite sides of metal casings52 and form spatial extensions of chambers defined by casings 52. Eachinsulator 53 houses a pair of cooperating arcing contacts 4, 5 and isprovided with a substantially cylindrical element 54. Elements 54 defineguiding surfaces 55 for insuring movement of contacts 5 in a straight,preferably a vertical line. Elements 54 are each provided with a flange56 clamped between one of the casings 52 and one of the insulators 53.This clamping feature holds element 54 firmly in position, thus insuringproper alinement of all the stationary and movable contacts 4, 5.Flanges 55 are provided with apertures 51 (shown in dotted lines in Fig.3 and more clearlyin Fig. 7) for permitting gas under pressure to flowin an upward direction through insulators 53 and metal casings 52 up tothe top of the column 250. The stationary contacts 4 are provided withflanges forming part of venting structures which are more fullydescribed below. The flanges which are associated with contacts 4provide a clamping feature of the same kind as flanges 56 of elements54.

- Operation of contacts 5 is effected by pushpull or reciprocatingoperating mechanisms, i. e., mechanisms adapted for positivefluid-pressure action actuation of contacts 5 in alternative directions.Each metal casing 52 houses one pushpull operating mechanism generallyindicated by the reference numeral 58. Each push-pull operatingmechanism 58 is adapted to convert operating impulses in a directiontransversal of passage 3 and tubular insulators 53 into a pair ofopposite forces in a direction longitudinal of said passage andinsulators. There are many possible operating mechanisms capable ofconverting transversal operating impulses of operating rods Iii into apair of opposite operating impulses in a direction longitudinal ofcircuit breaker column 255, and Fig. 3 shows merely one possible, thougha preferred, push-pull operating structure of that kind. Each of thecontacts 5 is adapted to be operated by a crank or toggle mechanismcomprising the elements 59 and 50. Each pair of elements 59 is rotatableabout a common shaft 5| arranged in a direction transversal of thebreaker column 259 and supported by one of the metal casings 52. Themetal casings 52 are each provided with a slide bearing 62 forsupporting operating rods l5. Rods II] are each connected to a pair ofelements 59 by means of a toggle comprising two links 63. Each metalcasing 52 has two wide flanges 54 for securing the tubular insulators 53to it. This is achieved by means of angle members 65, wedge members 63and screws 51.

The mechanisms 59, 60 described above form toggle joints fortransmitting the reciprocatory force produced by the movement ofoperating rods sin a direction substantially in alignment with the axisof contacts 4 and 5. Elements 50 and interconnected elements 59 actuatemovable contacts 5 upon movement of operating rods in and substantiallyreduce the side thrust which would be exerted by operating rods II] onmovable contacts 5 if only toggles 63 were connected therebetween.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the apertures 51 in flange 55 are arrangedin such a way as to cause the vertical flow of gas under pressurethrough casing 52 to bypass the pushpull operating mechanism 58 which isarranged in that casing, thus minimizing frictional losses within saidflow of gas under pressure. The lower metal casing 52 is constructed inthe same way as the upper metal casing 52.

The end of each insulator 53 arranged remote from the respective casing52 to which the insulator is secured is provided with means permittingthe escape of are products or fluid under pressure from tubular contacts4 to atmosphere. These venting means comprise metal structures generallyindicated by reference numeral 20l defining passages 75 for the escapeof are products in a substantially horizontal direction. Coolingstructures-252 arranged in passages 10 effect a reduction of thetemperature of the escaping are products prior to their escape. Thecooling structures 202 consist preferably of stacks of parallel platesof a metal having a high heat absorbing capacity, e. g., copper, andthey are arranged in the direction of the flow of arc products so as tominimize frictional flow losses. The venting structure 28! arranged inthe middle of the breaker column 200 comprises a partition plate H whichmay be of insulating material and separates the are products issuingfrom immediately adjacent nozzle contacts 4 prior to their cooling andrelease to atmosphere.

As shown in Fig. 5, the venting structure 205 which is arranged in themiddle of the breaker column 250 comprises partitions l2 defining twoducts 13 which permit a direct flow of gas under pressure from theinsulator 53 immediately below partition H to the insulator 53immediately above partition H, thus bypassing venting passages Hi. Theventing structure Zill on the bottom of the breaker column 200 isconstructed in a similar way, i. e., it permits air under pressureissuing from tubular insulator 5| to flow directly into the lowermostinsulator 53, thus bypassing the exhaust passages 16 situated at thebottom end of the breaker column 251]. The venting structure 25! on topof column 205 permits escape of all the air under pressure which reachesthe top of said column, i. e., it has no bypass means as the two ventingstructures which are arranged at a lower level.

Gas under pressure entering the lowermost insulator 53 may, in part,escape through the gap formed between the lowermost contacts 4, 5 uponseparation thereof, and in part rush through apertures 51 in flanges 56and the lower metal casing 52 into the next higher insulator 53. Hereagain the flow of gas under pressure is divided into two branch flows,one escaping through the gap formed between contacts 4, 5 uponseparation thereof and through the venting passage Ii! of the ventingstructure 25f situated at the middle of column 200, and the otherflowing through bypass ducts 13 (see Fig. 5) to the insulator 53situated immediately above the middle of the breaker column 200. Herethe flow of gas under pressure undergoes another subdivision into twobranch flows. One branch flow follows the path through the gap formedbetween the separated contacts 4, 5 and the upper of the ventingpassages 10 of structure ZBI situated at the middle of column 258. Theother branch flow follows the path through apertures 51 in flanges 56and through casing 52 into the uppermost insulator 53, and then throughthe gap formed between the uppermost contacts 4, 5 upon separationthereof and through the venting passages 5 situated on the top of thecircuit breaker column 280 to atmosphere.

The vertical rotary insulating column 8 is mad up of two parts 8a and8b. The lower part 8?) is adapted to be rotated by fluid motor 6 whichessays-v 7. is arranged at g'roundpotenti'al, or substantially at groundpotential. The lower crank mechanism 9 for actuation of one of theoperating rods I is arranged between the parts 8a, 8b of rotaryinsulator 8'1 Shaft i l interconnects parts are and 8b of insulator handthat shaft is supported by abearing which in turn is supported by arigid cross-tie it, which is secured to the lower of the two casings E2.The shaft H on top of part 812; of rotatable insulator 8 is supported bya'be'aring it which in turn is supported by arigid cross-tie l9 which issecured to the upper of the two casings 52.- It will be noted that bothcrossties l6 and 79 are substantially horizontal and situated at aboutthe same level as metal casings 52, or shafts 5 l, respectively.

The flexible conductors 29' which have been shownin Fig. 2 have beenomitted in Fig. 3, for clearness sake, but it is to be understood thateachpair of movable contacts 5 which is associated with one push-pulloperating mechanism 58 is electrically interconnected. Since all arcingcontacts i, 5 of the circuit breaker are supposed to be seriallyconnected when the breaker is in the closed position thereof, it isnecessary to provide means for electrically interconnecting the twotubular contacts 4 which are arranged close to the middle of the breakercolumn 200. This interconnection is effected by the metallic coolingstructure (see particularly Fig. 5) and a shunt conductor may be added,if desired, for electrically interconnecting said contacts 4.

It will be noted that the interval of time or time delay betweeninitiation by opening of blast valve ca of building up of pressurewithin the circuit breaker column 200 and simultaneous parting of allpairs of contacts 4, 5 depends upon the operation of fluid motor 6. Thepoint of time at which motor 6 begins to operate'depends' in turn uponthe cross section of pipe II and can be varied, if desired, by arranginga needle valve therein (no such valve has been indicated in thedrawing).

Since nozzle and plug contacts 4, 5'a're separated and gas underpressure is permitted to escape from column 20G only subsequent to theopening of blast valve 3a, column 290 will be substantially closed atthe point of time when blast valve'3a is being opened. Hence a dampedpressure wave of the character shown in Fig. 1 will occur within column200 immediately upon opening of blast valve 3a. Contacts 4, 5 areseparated at a suitable point of time when the pressure conditionsprevailing in breaker column 209 at the various points of break are mostfavorable for efiicient circuit interruption.

In the closed position of contacts 4', 5 the angle between contactoperating elements 59 and 60 is close tol80 degrees. Shifting ofoperating rods !9 from the right to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3,results in rapid reduction of the pressure between contacts 4, 5' tozero and separation of said contacts.

Figs. 2 and 3 show one pole-unit for controlling one phase of anelectric circuit. In the case of multiphase circuits, a plurality ofsuch pole-units may be associated for controlling all the phases of thecircuit. Storage tank I and the blast valve 311 may be common to allpole units of a composite multiphase circuit breaker. This common tankand blast valve feature is less appropriate for relatively largemultiphase circuit breaker arrangements; the pole units of relativelylarge multiphase circuit breaker arrangements should preferably eachhave a 8. separate breaker tank and aseparate blast valve.

It will be understood that the contact structure and operating meansshown in Figs.- 2 and 3 are not limited to multibreak circuit breakersbut canalso beused to advantage in circuit breakers having but one pointof break. I-n gas" blast circuit breakers of the multibreak type thereis a relatively long distance between the blast valve and thearcingcontacts which are arranged most remotely therefrom, and, there'-fore, the possibility of proper timing of the separation of cooperatingpairs of contacts is of paramount importance in the case of multibr'eakgas blast circuit breakers. Besides, the problem of synchronizing theoperation of the contacts of one pole-unit is peculiar to multibreakcircuit breakers.

The circuit breaker of the present invention comprises, as has beenshown before, a plurality of identical basic structures as, forinstance, cas-f ings 52, insulators53, operating mechanisms 58. Thenumber of these basic structuralelements can be decreased or increaseddepending upon the required voltage rating and-interrupting capacityrating,- i. e., different circuit breakers to suit differentrequirements can be assembled from the samebasic elements.

The reactions of the accelerating forces to which contact-s 3, 5 aresubjected are of opposite direction; the forces acting upon bearings 15and 18 tend to move said bearings to the left, while the forces whichare transmitted by shafts 6| upon metal casings 52 tend to move saidcasings to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3. These forces aresubstantially balanced by the provision of the crcss ties it and 790iwhich each interconnects one of the bearings lii'and 18 with one of thetwo m'c-ta'l casings 52, and which are arranged at about the same levelas shafts 6i. Cross-ties 16 and 79 will be subjected to tensilestresses, but all accelerating forces or their reactions, respectively,are substantially kept away from the insulating elements 53 of whichcolumn 200 is made up, which elements are generally of ceramic material,and,- therefore, not well adapted to withstand mechanical impact forces.

Another desirablefeature of the circuit'breaker of the present inventionconsists in that contacts 4, 5 can bereclo'sed against full-gas pressurein the interrupting chambers formed by" insulators 53, which isevidently due to the fact that the operation of fluid motor ii does notdepend upon the pressure within column 20b. The gear ratio of theoperating mechanism 8, 9, l0 and 58 is such that extremely high contactpressures can be exerted with relatively small forces being present atthe motor end'of said'mechanism.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, metal casing 52' is situated between apair of coaxially arranged insulators 53. Insulators'53'rest upon thewide flanges of casing'EZ andare secured to them by means includingmembers 65 and 66. Each insulator 53 houses a stationary nozzle contact4, a movable plug contact 5 and a member 54- defining guiding surfacesfor telescoping contacts along a straight line, i. e., the direction ofthe axis of passage 3. Casing 52 is provided with two bearings iii and82 for supporting shaft 83. Shaft 83 carries crank element 84. Crankelements'85 interconnect each of the movable contacts 5" With one of theends of crankelement 84. Shaft 83 carries an arm 86 arranged exteriorlyof metal casing 52 for rotating shaft 83 to contact open position or inthe opposite direction, 1. e.,

to contact closed position. Arm 86 may be operated by any suitable motorarranged remote from casing 52 and at ground potential by theintermediary of a suitable insulating element. Preferably arm 86 isbeing attached by means of a linkage including a universal joint to amotor-operated vertical insulating column of the kind of column 3 shownin Figs. 2 and 3.

The push-pull operating mechanism 83, 84, 85, 86 of Figs. 6 and '7 isless involved than that of Fig. 3, and it does not require a slidebearing as the latter does, which features make it more desirable insome respect.

Referring now to Fig. 8, that figure shows a modification of theoperating means for the rotary contact-operating insulating column 8 anda modification of columnB itself, the other parts of the circuit breakerhaving been omitted, or indicated in a diagrammatic Way. Column 8comprises two superimposed coaxial parts 3a, 8b, which areinterconnected by an eccentric element I09. Element I is associated withan element IOI and adapted to operate a reciprocating rod II Bothelements I60 and IIII form a crank mechanism. Rod I8 forms part of apush-pull operating mechanism (not shown in detail) adapted to convert ahorizontal operating impulse into a pair of vertical impulses ofopposite directions for efiecting relative movement of contacts 4 and 5.The crank mechanism formed by elements we and I OI permits column 8 torotate about 360 degrees (without reversing its sense of rotation).Column 8 is supported by shaft I02 resting in two bearings I83. Toothedor spur wheels lll la and IBM) are loosely mounted on shaft I82. Toothedracks Iii5a, IEiEb are in cooperative engagement with spur wheels IMaand 16%, respectively. Fluid motor IBBa comprising piston IG'Ia,cylinder IUBa and resetting spring Ififia is adapted to operate rackI05a. Fluid motor 15% comprising piston ifllb, cylinder I98!) andresetting spring IIiSb is adapted to operate rack Iilfib. Fluid underpressure may be supplied to motor IIi'ia through solenoid trip valveIII), and cylinder Iota of motor [06a may be vented by means of ventingvalve III. Orifice II2a is arranged about midway between the ends ofcylinder H3811 and adapted to permit cylinder I882) to be supplied withgas under pressure through pipe line IIZ. Pipe line H2 is controlled bythe solenoid reclosing lock-out relay II3. Ratchet gear Ii is fixedlymounted on shaft I 02 of column 8 and adapted to be operated either by aratchet IIiia hinged to spur wheel IBM, or by a ratchet H51), hinged tospur wheel I941). Racks Ififia, IE-Eb, are provided with push rods I leaand i I617, respectively. Push rod H50. controls an interlock limitswitch II? arranged in the energizing circuit of solenoid trip valveIii], while push rod H61) controls venting Valve II-I of cylinder HlSa.

Alternatively cylinder I 682) of fluid motor I052), may be supplied withgas under pressure through pipe I i8 and check valve I IS. The rate ofescape of gas under pressure from cylinder I 08?) may be controlled byadjusting needle valve I29.

The control system shown in Fig. 8 operates as follows: Occurrence of afault as, for instance, an arcing ground connection, causes energizationof solenoid trip valve He and hence admission of gas under pressure tofluid motor 36a. Piston I Illa moving from right to left moves rack I05cfrom right to left. The latter causes rotation of spur wheel 59442which, in turn, causes a rotation of ratchet wheel H4, shaft IE2 andinsulating column 8 of approximately 180 degrees, resulting inseparation of contacts 4, 5. Rapid reclosing is efiected by gas underpressure flowing through port 21; and pipe H2 in back of piston Illlb offluid motor IIlSb. This causes piston ID'Ib and rack I052) to move fromleft to right and ratchet gear IM to be rotated through ratchet II 51)in the same sense as before, thus causing an addi tional degreesrotation of shaft I02 and column 8 in the same sense as before. Owing tothis additional 180 degrees rotation contacts 4, 5 are rapidly reclosedupon separation thereof. Movement of push rod II6b to the right causesopening of venting valve I II which enables rapid resetting of motorIilfia owing to the action of spring Essa. Auxiliary switch II? whichhad been opened by push rod IIBa is allowed to reclose upon r setting ofmotor I 06a, thus permitting rc-energization of solenoid trip valve I I9. If the duty cycle of the circuit breaker comprises but one immediatereclcsing operation, pipe H2 is blocked upon the first reclosingoperation by solenoid lockout valve H3 and this causes column 8 totravel merely to contact open position rather than to move farther tocontact closed position.

If contacts 4, 5 are separated as a result of an interrupting operationother than a rapid reclosing duty cycle, contacts 3, 5 are reclosed byadmitting gas under pressure to motor IBBb through pipe I I8 and checkvalve I It, thus causing piston Hill) to move from left to right. Owingto the action of needle valve I20 motor I081) resets itself upon a givenperiod of time. This causes a rotation of spur gear IMb Without,however, affecting ratchet gear I I4 and column 8.

Although but several embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of theappended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a member at least in part ofinsulating material defining a, passage, a pair of cooperating contactswithin said passage, a supply of gas under pressure, means connectingsaid passage and said supply for producing blast of gas having aslightly damped pressure wave through said passage, a contact separatingmeans operated independently of the gas pressure in said passage, andmeans for synchronizing said contact separatin means with said blastproducing means to separate said contacts when a crest of said pressurewave reaches said contacts.

2. In a, circuit breaker, the combination of a member at least in partof insulating material defining a passage, a plurality of seriallyconnected pairs of cooperating contacts within said passage, a supply ofgas under pressure, means connecting said passage and said supply forproducing a blast of gas having a slightly damped pressure wave throughsaid passage, and a contact separating means operated independently ofthe gas pressure in said passage for simultaneous separation of all ofsaid pairs of contacts at a time at which said pressure wave reaches thepoint of break most remote from said source.

3. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a member at least in part ofinsulating material defining a passage, a plurality of seriallyconnected pairs of cooperating contacts within said passage, a supply ofgas under pressure, means connecting said passage and said supply forproducing a blast of gas having a slightl damped pressure wave through.said passage, and a contact separating means operated independently ofthe gas pressure in said passage for simultaneous actuation of all ofsaid pairs of contacts at a time at which a crest of said pressure wavereaches the point of break most remote from said source and irrespectiveof whether there is a difference in gas pressure at different points ofbreak.

4. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a member at least in part ofinsulating material defining a passage, a pair of cooperating contactswithin said passage, a supply of gas under pressure, means connectingsaid passage and said supply for producing a blast of gas under pressurehavinng a slightly damped pressure wave through said passage, a contactseparating means operating independently of the gas pressure in saidpassage and comprising an insulating column adapted to be rotated aboutthe longitudinal axis thereof arranged generally parallel to saidpassage, a transmission interconnecting said column and one of saidcontacts adapted toconvert rotary motions of said column into linealmotions of said one of said contacts in a direction longitudinal of saidpassage, and a motor for rotating said column, said motor being actuatedat a time at which said pressure Wave reaches said contacts.

5. In a, circuit breaker, the combination of a metal casing, a tubularinsulator arranged vertically on and carried by said casing, supply ofgas under pressure, means connecting said casing and said supply forproducing a blast of gas under pressure having a slightly dampedpressure wave through said casing and said insulator comprising blastentrance means at the end of said insulator adjacent said casing andblast exhaust means at the end of said insulator remote from saidcasing, a pair of cooperating contacts arranged in the path of saidblast, contact separating means operated independently of the gaspressure in said casing and comprising a motor actuated upon apredetermined travel of said pressure wave, an insulating columnrctatable about the vertical axis thereof and adapted to be rotated bysaid motor, and a transmission adapted to convert rotary motions intolineal motions, said transmission interconnecting said column and one ofsaid contacts.

6. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a member at least in part ofinsulating material defining a passage, a pair of cooperating arcingcontacts mounted within said passage for es tablishing an arc, a supplyof gas under pressure, a conduit connecting said passage and said supplyfor producing a blast of gas having a given pressure wave through saidconduit and said passage, a contact separating means operatingindependently of the gas pressure in said passage and comprising a fluidmotor having a pipe connection to said conduit, and means for adjustingth flow of gas through said connection to cause said motor to separatesaid contacts a predetermined time after the transit of said pressurewave through said conduit past said connection.

'7. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a member at least in partof insulating material de-- fining a passage, a pair of cooperatingarcing contacts mounted within said passage for establishing an are, asupply of gas under pressure, a conduit connecting said passage and saidsupply for producing a blast of gas having a given pressure;

wave through said passage, and. a contact separating means operatingindependently of the gas pressure in said passage and comprising a fluidmotor arranged at substantially ground potential, said motor having apipe connection to said conduit whereby said motor is actuated apredetermined period of time after the transit of said pressure wavethrough said conduit past said connection, an insulating column adaptedto be rotated about its axis by said motor, and a transmissioninterconnecting said column and one of said contacts and adapted toconvert rotary motion of said column into lineal motion of one of. saidcontacts.

8-. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a metal casing, a tubularinsulator immediately adjacent said casing and communicating therewith,a pair of cooperating arcing contacts mounted Within said insulator forestablishing an arc, a supply of gas under pressure, a conduitconnecting said casing and said supply for producing ablast ofgas'having a given pressure wave through the gap'formed between saidcontacts upon separation thereof, blast exhaust and cooling means at theend of said insulator remote from said casing, and a reciprocatorycontact separating means operating independently of the gas pressure insaid casing comprising a fluid motor arranged at substantially groundpotential, said motor having a pipe connection to said conduit wherebysaid motor is actuated a predetermined period of time after the transitof said pressure wave through said conduit past said connection, aninsulating column adapted to be rotated by said motor about an axisgenerally parallel tosaid insulator, and a transmission interconnectingsaid column and one of said contacts and adapted to convert rotarymotion of said column. into lineal motion of one of said contacts.

9. In combination, a circuit breaker comprising a plurality ofsuperimposed elements forming a vertical hollow column, said elementsincluding a pair of spaced metal elements each arranged betweeninsulating elements, a plurality of pairs of separable cooperatingcontacts each associated with one of said insulating elements, means forserially connecting said plurality of pairs of contacts, a supply of gasunder pressure, a conduit connecting said hollow column and said supplyfor producing a blast of gas having a given pressure wave through saidhollow column, common means Within each metal element for separatingpairs of cooperating contacts associated with the insulating elementsimmediately adjacent thereto, a pair of crank mechanisms exteriorly ofsaid metal elements and insulating elements each operatively associatedwith one of said common means, and actuating means operatingindependently of the gas pressure in said hollow column and comprising a"first vertical rotary column for insulatingly interconnecting said pairof crank mechanisms, a second vertical rotary column for insulatinglysupporting said first rotary column, and a fluid motor arranged atsubstantially ground potential and actuated in a predetermined relationto the transit of said pressure wave through said hollow column foroperating said second rotary column.

10. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a metal casing forming achamber, a pair of insulators arranged coaxially on opposite sides ofsaid casing and defining tubular extensions of said chamber, a pair ofstationary contacts each associated with one of said insulators, a pairof movable contacts each adapted to cooperate with one of saidstationary contacts, guiding means within each of said insulators fortelescoping said movable contacts in the direction of the common axis ofsaid insulators, each said guiding means having a supporting flangeclamped between said casing and one of said insulators, means forproducing blasts of gas under pressure having a predetermined pressurewave through the gaps formed between cooperating contacts uponseparation thereof, gas exhaust means on the ends of said insulatorsremote from said casing, a reciprocatory operating mechanism having astroke parallel to the axis of said insulators for common simultaneousactuation of said movable contacts in opposite directions, and means foractuating said mechanism including an operator of insulating materialand a motor arranged at substantially ground potential for actuatingsaid operator, said motor being adapted to effect synchronizedseparation of said contacts a predetermined time after said pressurewave reaches said contacts.

11. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a metal casing, a tubularinsulator arranged vertically on said casing and communicatingtherewith, means for producing a blast of gas having a predeterminedpressure wave through said insulator, blast exhaust means on the end ofsaid insulator remote from said casing, a pair of cooperating contactsarranged in the path of said blast of gas, an insulating columnrotatable about the vertical axis thereof, a transmission for convertingrotary motions of said column into vertical lineal motions of one ofsaid contacts, and a pair of sequentially operating fluid motors of thecylinder-piston type adapted to rotate said column sequentially in thesame direction about angles of substantially 180 degrees, said firstoperating motor actuated independently of the gas pressure in saidinsulator'and at a predetermined time after said pressure wave reachessaid contacts.

12. In a circuit breaker, the combination of a metal casing, a pair oftubular insulators arranged coaxially at opposite sides of said casingand communicating therewith, means for producing a pair of oppositeblasts of gas under pressure each through one of said insulators, gasexhaust means on the ends of said insulators remote from said casing,two pairs of cooperating contacts each arranged in the path of one ofsaid blasts of gas, an insulating column rotatable about the verticalaxis thereof, a transmission for converting rotary motions of saidcolumn into lineal opposite motions of one contact of one of said pairsof contacts and of one contact of the other said pair of contacts, ashaft for supporting said column, a pair of gears supported on saidshaft for rotation independently thereof, a pair of racks each incooperative engagement with one of said gears, a pair of fiuid motors ofthe cylinder-piston type adapted for alternate operation of said racks,and a ratchet mechanism connecting said gears to said shaft to causesaid shaft to be rotated in response to rotation of either of said gearsin a common predetermined direction.

GUSTAV E. J ANSSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,920,894 Ruppel Aug. 1, 19332,125,525 Thommen Aug. 2, 1938 2,205,321 Thieme June 18, 1940 2,279,536Thommen Apr. 14, 1942 2,327,493 Bresson Aug. 24, 1943 2,394,046Dickinson Feb. 5, 1946 2,454,586 Amer Nov. 23, 1948 2,456,965 LeitzelDec. 21, 1948

